Penguins top Sharks in shootout

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

David Perron and Sidney Crosby scored in the shootout, and the Pittsburgh Penguins won their second home game in as many days, 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night.

After the Penguins killed off the final 3:52 of overtime while short-handed — the result of Patric Hornqvist’s high-sticking double-minor — Perron and Crosby beat Sharks backup goalie Alex Stalock to his stick side on Pittsburgh’s first two attempts of the shootout.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped Melker Karlsson, and when Logan Couture’s shot struck the crossbar after Crosby’s goal, the game was over and Pittsburgh (95 points) officially pulled back into a tie for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz had first-period goals for Pittsburgh, which had won just one of its previous seven before coming from behind to beat Arizona 3-2 Saturday.

Ben Smith and Logan Couture had second-period goals for San Jose, which wrapped up a seven-game, 12-day road trip with a 3-3-1 record.

Perron missed Saturday’s game because of an illness, and Pittsburgh coach Mike Johnston indicated after the morning skate Sunday that he would not play that evening. Perron did, but was likely left feeling sick after missing the net while wide open in the low left-wing circle as time expired in regulation.

Ultimately, the Penguins got their two points anyway, despite playing with only five defensemen. Christian Ehrhoff (upper-body) and Kris Letang (concussion) are out, and the team’s salary cap situation doesn’t allow for any reinforcements to be called up.

Letang was released from the hospital Sunday after taking a hit from Arizona’s Shane Doan on Saturday.

The Sharks were without defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who left a win in Philadelphia on Saturday with a lower-body injury.

San Jose managed five shots on goal in overtime, but could not beat Fleury. The Penguins’ No. 2-ranked NHL penalty kill generally prevented prime scoring chances over a nearly four-minute span to close out play.

The Penguins scored twice in a 56-second span starting with Hornqvist’s tally 7:08 into the game. Daniel Winnik — promoted to skating alongside Crosby on the top line last week — worked to gain possession behind the net and threw the puck out in front of the slot. On his backhand, Hornqvist flipped it into the net behind Stalock.

Taylor Fedun took a hooking minor 33 seconds later.